All Blog Posts Tagged 'atheist' - Think Atheist2016-12-10T03:22:01Zhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blog/feed?tag=atheist&xn_auth=noSudden realizationtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2016-08-24:1982180:BlogPost:15992772016-08-24T19:18:32.000ZA.T. Heisthttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ATHeist615
<p>Just over a year ago, I managed to get a new church music job: it pays better (and I've gotten two raises in the past year); the people I work with are very cool; my kids and wife love it there, and truthfully, I love it there. There's just one thing I realized today: in my heart of hearts, I don't actually believe in God. I pray out loud with my choir every week, I participate in Sunday School and talk about the Bible with other Christians, I often pay a lot of lip service to God. It's part…</p>
<p>Just over a year ago, I managed to get a new church music job: it pays better (and I've gotten two raises in the past year); the people I work with are very cool; my kids and wife love it there, and truthfully, I love it there. There's just one thing I realized today: in my heart of hearts, I don't actually believe in God. I pray out loud with my choir every week, I participate in Sunday School and talk about the Bible with other Christians, I often pay a lot of lip service to God. It's part of my job, and I really love my job. But when I am really honest with myself, and think about whether I really <strong>believe</strong> that there's a God, that prayer actually works, that there is an afterlife, all that stuff--when I really examine it, I realize that I don't buy it. If the Church as an institution suddenly ceased to exist, I would be out of a job, and that would be unfortunate for me and my family, but I don't think it would change my life in any other way.</p>
<p>Before I have a bunch of people comment that I'm being dishonest with my friends and family, and with myself, let me state that I have absolutely no intention of telling others in my life about this new realization. If you've read any of my earlier blog posts (I haven't check in here in over a year), you can read about my struggle with this issue. As I said above, I genuinely enjoy working with the people at my church. They're cool people. Sure, there's a few of the folks that spout the usual party line about "being blessed" and about how much they "love Jesus," but most of them are people that I would want to hang out with, even if I didn't work at that church. </p>
<p>I certainly respect atheists who have been able to "come out of the closet," but that's not gonna happen any time in my near future. It's a free country, and I have the right to pretend to be Christian as much as I want. I worked twenty years in retail, and I spent most of that time pretending in front of customers that the company I worked for was GREAT, so I don't see any difference in this job. I'm good at the church music I do, and I enjoy it. But today was a bit of an epiphany, because I've been speaking the language of faith long enough that I really thought I was believing it. And all of a sudden today, I realized that simply wasn't the case.</p>
<p>So, life goes on...and so do I.</p>Why are atheists smart?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2016-05-03:1982180:BlogPost:15852822016-05-03T15:14:18.000ZproudAthiesthttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/proudAthiest
<p> I dealt with different people with different points of views and different ideologies. When it comes to the atheists..They are exceptionally smart! I thought about the reason for so long..Until i found my own answer. As an atheist myself.. I am not considered a smart guy at all Lol but being an atheist is not an easy thing. Most of us ended up being atheists after reading about different religions and comparing these religions with other religions. As well as comparing all these…</p>
<p> I dealt with different people with different points of views and different ideologies. When it comes to the atheists..They are exceptionally smart! I thought about the reason for so long..Until i found my own answer. As an atheist myself.. I am not considered a smart guy at all Lol but being an atheist is not an easy thing. Most of us ended up being atheists after reading about different religions and comparing these religions with other religions. As well as comparing all these religions to science. Atheists keep reading books of religions,science,physiology and all other sciences associated with humans and nature in general. I am not a reader myself but I found myself automatically opening online articles about nearly everything and start reading and analyzing the same time. The first thing i learned is ACCEPTING DIFFERENCE..No one looks exactly like the other, we all have different traits and features.. The moment I accepted difference is the same moment i started to read about different religions and other ideologies.</p>
<p> Even when atheists argue with each other, they show scientific legitimate evidence to each other to verify their points of views and no matter how hard the arguments can be, they always had a smile on their faces, so they are also wise and loving and know how to argue. </p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, accepting difference is the key towards knowing more about our lives, not like other people who are trapping themselves in their bubbles and reluctant to know anything different from the thing they grew up with.</p>
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<p>To put it all in a nutshell, being an atheist is not just stop believing in god. being an atheist is an effort made to reach this conclusion by reading a lot and making a lot discussions with different people and trying their best to analyze them. In my opinion thats why atheists end up being smarter than average people.</p>
<p>What are your opinions guys?</p>Should I be this frustrated?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2015-06-15:1982180:BlogPost:15368302015-06-15T23:47:10.000ZMichelle Varnihttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/mv
<p>As I've said in a previous blog post, I have yet to come out to my parents as atheist. That being said, that setting on Facebook has been set to "Atheist" from "Christian" for quite a while. Of course, the change is hidden from my family lists, but it's visible to everyone else. Now, this is not going to be a post about my feeling entitled for personal catering when it comes to what I see on my Wall or anything, but sometimes, things just get a bit frustrating.</p>
<p>I still have several…</p>
<p>As I've said in a previous blog post, I have yet to come out to my parents as atheist. That being said, that setting on Facebook has been set to "Atheist" from "Christian" for quite a while. Of course, the change is hidden from my family lists, but it's visible to everyone else. Now, this is not going to be a post about my feeling entitled for personal catering when it comes to what I see on my Wall or anything, but sometimes, things just get a bit frustrating.</p>
<p>I still have several Christian friends on Facebook, people I still get along great with (hence, why they're still on my friend's list). I don't mind seeing what they post, at least until it gets to the religious posts. There are posts about worship and Bible verses, an earnest call for the expression "Under God" to still be included in the Pledge of Allegiance, and countless posts that attribute the wonderful happenings in their life to God.</p>
<p>I can't believe there was a time when I would see these posts and <em>agree </em>with them, even share them myself because I found them so agreeable. Now, however, I see these kinds of things and I get frustrated. I block the pages they post this stuff from when I can, but oftentimes they are personally-made posts, and I can only say that I don't want to see that kind of stuff on my Wall (an actual option you can select, for those not familiar with Facebook). Yet, in my frustration, I still have a dilemma when it comes to how exactly I should feel about these posts.</p>
<p>On one hand, I do not believe in God. That makes these posts that pop up on my Newsfeed ridiculous, at the very least. It annoys me because they keep crediting things to a deity I've found has no evidence to prove of its existence, as well as continuing to devote themselves to it. I feel like I'm standing on the sidelines, watching them run the wrong way on a track---I want to tell them they're running the wrong way, that they're missing the main track altogether, but even if they hear me over the din of the other runners, would they believe me? The likely answer is no. Every time these posts come up, they're just more reminders of the lies I used to buy into, and I feel like someone should tell them that God isn't real, but therein lies the second part of my problem.</p>
<p>As I've said, these Christian friends of mine aren't bad people. If they weren't, I wouldn't keep them on my friend's list. See, as much as I would like to tell them what I have discovered about the deity they claim to follow, I also see that they're not being bad about it. They just want to witness, just want to help others, and they say that what they have learned from being a Christian has made them a better person. Aside from spreading a false message, they aren't hurting anyone with what they say. They're hardly the Westboro Baptist Church in the way they spread the "good news," and are in fact the farthest thing from being like those people.</p>
<p>In friendships, I've learned that being a friend means telling someone when they have it wrong, in a way that lets them know you're only saying it because you care about them. I would like to do that for these people, but I don't think they would believe me. But should I say anything? As I said, they aren't causing outright harm to anyone by degrading them or making them feel horrible for not being baptized, going to church, claiming Jesus as their savior, etc. .</p>
<p>So, what would you do, if you were in my shoes? Would you say something to them (or at least post as many atheistic articles and images as they post Christian pictures and articles), or would you let things happen as they may?</p>
<p> </p>Forever Cursedtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2015-02-26:1982180:BlogPost:15186192015-02-26T01:00:00.000ZNerdy Keithhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/keith
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/8KNI8B2SjT2ogTaBus*wbXynD7EVSy*vxD*frFeqDmMh6fR*NYksAsf4HQCEIRAxh*XNJTReqxb5eIeVpM5ZejUN3G65NFys/AbbeyRemains.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/8KNI8B2SjT2ogTaBus*wbXynD7EVSy*vxD*frFeqDmMh6fR*NYksAsf4HQCEIRAxh*XNJTReqxb5eIeVpM5ZejUN3G65NFys/AbbeyRemains.jpg?width=500" width="500"></img></a></p>
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<p>Forever cursed is how I see organised religion. I call them corrupt or forever cursed, because that is exactly how I see them. They (the institutions) try to make amends by seeming to have mended their ways; but then somehow go back to their roots. Then you see them for what the really are, they…</p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/8KNI8B2SjT2ogTaBus*wbXynD7EVSy*vxD*frFeqDmMh6fR*NYksAsf4HQCEIRAxh*XNJTReqxb5eIeVpM5ZejUN3G65NFys/AbbeyRemains.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/8KNI8B2SjT2ogTaBus*wbXynD7EVSy*vxD*frFeqDmMh6fR*NYksAsf4HQCEIRAxh*XNJTReqxb5eIeVpM5ZejUN3G65NFys/AbbeyRemains.jpg?width=500" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>Forever cursed is how I see organised religion. I call them corrupt or forever cursed, because that is exactly how I see them. They (the institutions) try to make amends by seeming to have mended their ways; but then somehow go back to their roots. Then you see them for what the really are, they were not trying to change; but trying to manipulate the public as a feeble attempt to sway them. </p>
<p>Now a lot of believers in organised faiths will take this as me attacking them personally. But the truth couldn’t be further. And they may even claim that hating their religion is hating their beliefs and their beliefs make them who they are. Well thats not entirely true either. It may seem that a person’s beliefs is who they are, but its not. Who you are as a person is shaped by the people around you and the experiences in life you have endured (both good and bad). A religious belief tries to dictate to you what to do, what to think, what to feel etc. It is manipulating the individual, stripping them from the core of their individuality and controlling them. It is controlling them to such an extent, that to them; they think its normal to not question certain things or rather trust certain things or ideas without question. They become accustomed to going through life based on fear. Organised religion thrives on fear. That fear causes people to not dare question their faith, in case that questioning is met with the consequence of eternal hellfire, suffering and torture etc. I do not believe that a person is who they are due to their beliefs. I believe they are not their true selves due to those beliefs. That is not to say that they cannot have any individuality at all; while holding beliefs of an organised faith. Many more liberally minded believers can and do balance or rather separate their faith from their everyday life (especially when interacting with others who do not share their faith). Of course those with a stricter interpretation; are less enlightened with such matters</p>
<p>But it is not the individuals fault they are the way the are. They are the victims of a corrupt superstitious organisation. For example, lets say you have friends or family working for a large corporate company. The type of company that pays their employees poorly, exploits them and uses cheap labour to produce their products . Its quite clear to you that this company is corrupt and too arrogant to admit it. But that doesn’t mean you hate your friends or family. In fact you might even understand that they have a dependency to remain in this company in order for them to pay the bills and feed themselves. <br/> <br/> The same goes for religious institutions. They promote so much corruption and hatred. But that doesn’t mean that all their members are like that too. There are lots of Catholics for example who would disagree with the pope. But they depend on their religion, they feel a need for it psychologically. It gives them comfort believing that they get a reward when they die. I’m not saying there is any truth to that belief. But by believing it; it helps them get through life. I understand that and I sympathise with these people a great deal. </p>
<p>But this does not change the fact that organised religion is corrupt to the core or “forever cursed” as I say. Never evolving, never growing in philosophy, never expanding knowledge. Because they wont allow such things to occur, they wrongfully believe they are an authority and that they obtain ultimate knowledge and truth. A claim that not even the greatest scientific mind the world has ever known would dare to claim. Because if he or she did; they would be corrupt and wilfully dishonest. </p>
<p>So if anything I don’t necessarily hate theists. I just hate their upper management; which is corrupt.</p>JOURNEY OUT OF DOGMAtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2015-02-25:1982180:BlogPost:15183722015-02-25T19:30:00.000ZMaihttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/TanyaReddin
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Introduction</b></p>
<p><font><span lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif">I grew up within Catholicism</font></span></font><span class="font-size-1"> </span><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><span lang="en" xml:lang="en">since the age of 6years during the 70's, my parents were not practicing religious folk, they were freethinking in all respects. Like all good parents they wanted to send me to the…</span></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Introduction</b></p>
<p><font><span lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif">I grew up within Catholicism</font></span></font><span class="font-size-1"> </span><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><span lang="en" xml:lang="en">since the age of 6years during the 70's, my parents were not practicing religious folk, they were freethinking in all respects. Like all good parents they wanted to send me to the best school, this was a roman catholic school with nuns. My journey was obviously very separate to my parents beliefs. These things, at this age was not spoken about. In fact now my mother is into Daoism &amp; my father before his death found inspiriration in the Buddhist way of life. So it wasn't my parents and their influence that thrust me into Catholicism it was the school I attended. I can only imagine children with parents who were practicing Catholics may not of even had the mindset to even think differently. Guess this is what dogma is all about.</span></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>Being a good girl</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Prayer &amp; weekly worship was a way of life. My sister dared to do a ouija board outside of school with friends &amp; got suspended. I was never convinced by the religon around me, from my early years I just didn't believe in it all. I just wanted to be myself, at one with nature, climbing trees &amp; enjoying the outdoors. Without religon I was still a good person, I thought, but society dictated I had to be part of a religious group. From early on I just wasn't convinced, something wasn't quite right.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>I remember going to confession after our weekly mass &amp; making up that I had hurt my sister, just so I could have my sins forgiven. I had to be a sinner, I didn't feel I could say 'Yes I've been a good girl this week!'. 10 hail mary's later I still didn't feel any better about it. All around me were people that just weren't good, sinister undertones of hyprocricy, not oodles of love or selfless giving. I didn't like the priests either, not the warm father christmas type men you could relate to.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Going against these beliefs or asking questions would make me an outcast. People would treat me differently, like I wasn't good..and I was. Children wouldn't of been allowed to play with me. It was enough my mother was French and foreign, but she made good food, different to the sausage, egg &amp; chips my friends had. The point is different was not good, being an individual was not good and being a girl was not good. The school kindly gave us the skillset of typing and sewing so we could make our way in the world. If we didn't want to get married and wanted a working life we always could be Catholic secretaries that sewed socks!</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>Being a Christian</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>It was my mindset for a long time that if I was born in England I was Christian. It was like being English. Any form I filled in or when I was asked, I was a Christian. What else was there? The whole empire was built on Christianity. If you came from Europe you were Christian, if you came from the middle-east your were Muslim. It was that cut &amp; dry.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>I left school at 15, it was like a weight lifted from my shoulders but felt I still had to conform. I still had to be Christian to conform with society, if you were an athiest you were bad. Then started my journey into spirituality influenced by mother. Now she hadn't been an influence spiritually to this point, I guess she was on her own journey and probably went through the exact same experience I did at school. I became interested in buddhism thinking it was my only route out of religon. This continued throughout my twenties, trying to find myself, going to mind, body &amp; spirit fairs. Investigating the holistic approach to life. </font></font><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But at the end of the day on that piece of paper I was still Christian.</span></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Throughout my twenties &amp; into my thirties I labelled myself as agnostic. If I didn't believe in god &amp; if he was real then what would I do?. The possibility of ending in damnation was a real one. So many believe right? what if I got it wrong? I would debate with my friends &amp; it would always come down to 'but how do you really know?' and I didn't. I still didn't have the answers to those important questions even if I did believe in god. I was still a Christian on that piece of paper.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>The transfomation begins</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>The internet is a wonderful thing, so much knowledge at your fingertips, I was always curious &amp; loved research into subjects about the human journey &amp; ice ages. I remember writing about how our fear of nature during catastrophic events &amp; natural disasters moved us to worship nature, which turned into religon. All this stuff got me thinking.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>I started to look up the definations of labels such as agnostic, humanist &amp; atheist. I went to google one day &amp; typed in 'is it ok to be an athiest?' and started watching videos on youtube of Richard Dawkins &amp; Carl Sagan, this is when I knew it was OK to be an atheist!. I cried. All these great scientific minds who are atheists! It gave me validation.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>But that wasn't the end of it. ok now I'm an atheist, so as an example, does that mean I can't celebrate Christmas? I had so many questions, and now begun my settling in years into atheism. So much of our society is built upon Christianity, an atheist still needs to find their place within it. This may have been the toughest time yet. There isn't an atheist handbook. In time I sought answers, loosened the belt of fitting in a box. I could enjoy Christmas &amp; didn't have to have Jesus involved. I became a militant atheist hating all things religious, seeing people who were religious as weak. I then started feeling sorry for them, then after came acceptance.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>Life is a journey</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>life is a learning journey for everyone, an evolution. Just as religon is part of the human journey of evolution. Do I wish I could have been an atheist when I was younger? yes most definately, it's a way of life I would have been so comfortable in. Perhaps if humanity had stuck with nature we would still be there. The truth of the matter is,no matter what we believe in we are all human &amp; from the same place.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>More spiritual as an atheist</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Years on into atheism and I'm over 40 years old. I'm older &amp; wiser now and have embraced atheism like a comfort blanket....and it's cosy &amp; warm. There are some great minds that campaign for atheism. Being atheist means I can get rid of the rubbish &amp; look with reason at all the information we have now. I can embrace my life &amp; humanity with passion. I see us and the universe as all connected, all living things coming from the same place. There is an overwhelming amount of beauty in nature &amp; science. I have all the answers to life that I need. And it's not cold, it's not dark, I'm not an outcast &amp; I'm still a good girl.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>The next generation</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>The battle and the cycle begins again...</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Now this is the bit I was cringing about and you'll see why. My daughter started school last year, we live in the country with one local CofE school, the nearest non-religious school is an hour away, I also work. My choices were home-schooling or an hours travel. My daughter is an only child &amp; needs other children around her, she also gets very car sick 10 minutes down the road. She has grown up with the children of the village that attend this school. They do daily prayers, religious assembly, teach creationism &amp; evolution only in later years &lt;rolls eyes&gt;. Could this of been the same struggle my parents had?</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>After a huge amount of research I knew my legal standing, I entered her into the school as a freethinker &amp; wrote to &amp; spoke to the head mistress before she started there. I'm glad to say it's nothing like my school was, despite being a church school they are open-minded and good people. My daughter has options and doesn't have to be a part of any religious prayer or ceremony. What's different also is me as a parent, my daughter understands God is a story. But I still get a pit in my stomach feeling from time to time when I think of the indoctrine that comes her way. When they tell stories like Noahs ark, a story of mass genocide no matter how sweet the animals are. Or when I ask her teacher if she believes in creationism and she says yes. What kind of 'intelligent' teacher is teaching my child? &lt;rolls eyes again&gt;</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>Needless to say, to this day I still have one foot in the school and one foot considering home schooling. Only time will tell. However with a mum like me I hope to be enough of an influence to waft away any lasting harm indoctrine can inflict.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font><b>The future</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>I'd like to see church schools get rid of prayer in the classroom because a classroom is for teaching . My experience suggests to me that at least half the children that attend &amp; their parents do not practice their religon or go to church, but they still put down Christian. This is where it all starts. Maybe if they didn't it would come down to supply &amp; demand.</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>BUT in this generation I'm pleased to say it's OK to be an atheist!</font></font></p>
<p lang="en" xml:lang="en"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><font>And what about that peice of paper? ...I put atheist or none of your business. I am no longer Christian!</font></font></p>Living in the Closet: It's Dark, Yes, But It's Also Warm and Cozy!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-08-11:1982180:BlogPost:14835702014-08-11T19:00:00.000ZA.T. Heisthttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ATHeist615
<p>For anyone who hasn't read my blog posts, I am still a "closet atheist": I don't publicly identify as an atheist, and in fact, part of my income comes from church music. I am Director of Music at a small Methodist church in Nashville, TN. That's right...the buckle of the Bible belt! I honestly can't see myself admitting my atheism to anyone in the near future, as my family's harmony and financial security rely partly on my keeping my church job.</p>
<p>Being honest with myself, however, I…</p>
<p>For anyone who hasn't read my blog posts, I am still a "closet atheist": I don't publicly identify as an atheist, and in fact, part of my income comes from church music. I am Director of Music at a small Methodist church in Nashville, TN. That's right...the buckle of the Bible belt! I honestly can't see myself admitting my atheism to anyone in the near future, as my family's harmony and financial security rely partly on my keeping my church job.</p>
<p>Being honest with myself, however, I have to admit that I don't really believe in any of the religious activities in which I participate. I am fascinated culturally by religion, Judaism and Christianity in particular. I know so many sincere, intelligent people, who see no disconnect between their intelligence and their faith. (My wife is one of them...one of the smartest people I know.) And so I stay in the closet. Several people here at TA have criticized me for "living a lie." They ask, wouldn't it be better to "live in the light," so to speak? I admit, it's dark here in the closet. I often feel like I can't see the light, metaphorically speaking, and yet, just as in a real closet, there's a certain coziness and familiarity to living that way. (I'm not inclined to claustrophobia, you see.) Also, as a musician, I can't deny that there is an awful lot of amazing music written by deeply religious people: Handel's <em>Messiah</em>, the Bach <em>B-minor Mass</em>, Verdi's and Mozart's Requiems, and so on. So I'm on familiar ground when I speak the language of faith.</p>
<p>Would I prefer to be open about my atheism? Sometimes, yes, I would. It's not always easy to play a role in real life. And when people around me talk about the power of prayer, or all the blessings of their lives, or about so-and-so, who's "looking down from heaven," I tend to squirm a bit. My parents, for example, aren't really very religious. And yet, they still go to visit my brother's grave, and often talk about how they "know Sean is looking down on us." Awkward. </p>
<p>I still have a collection of about 250 Bibles. Sometimes, I stop and consider, what's the point? I don't believe in all the supernatural gobbledygook that's in the Bible. I recognize the Bible's role in world literature, of course, but really, what is the point, if you don't believe in it as the "Word of God"? Well, I don't collect stamps or rocks, but I do collect Bibles...and Shakespeare's works, and Sherlock Holmes books. So what does it really matter if I believe in it or not? It's a collection, just like some people collect dolls or Beanie Babies.</p>
<p>So I remain a closet atheist, and continue to wonder if I'll ever leave the comfortable darkness. Meanwhile, I take the occasional peek outside...thus, this blog. Thanks for reading.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.associerge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/walk-closet-design-plan-your-work-kris-allen-daily-45984.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.associerge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/walk-closet-design-plan-your-work-kris-allen-daily-45984.jpg" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>Shit, maybe if I picture my "closet" like this one, I'll never leave! ;-)</p>How To Come Out As An Atheisttag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-07-15:1982180:BlogPost:14753962014-07-15T13:35:51.000ZMaxwell Marovichhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/MaxwellMarovich
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JNMv76PL5N4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JNMv76PL5N4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>Is government a more powerful force than love?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-05-25:1982180:BlogPost:14608322014-05-25T05:00:00.000ZAndy Hokehttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/AndyHoke
<p>I didn't join this site to take other people's words out of my mouth.</p>
<p>I attempted to emphasize the importance of love amid the current trend of legalized gay marriage. I'm not anonymous, so anyone can go to Facebook to verify my support of my gay friends' new marriage intentions.</p>
<p>Marriage is a much older religious institution than a governmental one, and marriage is younger than love. Tell me ThinkAtheist, does law matter more than love?</p>
<p>I didn't join this site to take other people's words out of my mouth.</p>
<p>I attempted to emphasize the importance of love amid the current trend of legalized gay marriage. I'm not anonymous, so anyone can go to Facebook to verify my support of my gay friends' new marriage intentions.</p>
<p>Marriage is a much older religious institution than a governmental one, and marriage is younger than love. Tell me ThinkAtheist, does law matter more than love?</p>Atheist TV -coming soon!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-05-17:1982180:BlogPost:14586902014-05-17T15:00:00.000ZEdhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/EdwardDelauter
<p>American Atheists will be launching a TV channel in July that will be a 7 day a week/24 hour format:</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.religionnews.com/2014/05/07/atheist-tv-coming-soon-television-near/">http://www.religionnews.com/2014/05/07/atheist-tv-coming-soon-television-near/</a></p>
<p>This is a long overdue event that hopefully will help further the exposure to the atheist cause in America. It is my sincerest hope that they do well.</p>
<p></p>
<p>American Atheists will be launching a TV channel in July that will be a 7 day a week/24 hour format:</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.religionnews.com/2014/05/07/atheist-tv-coming-soon-television-near/">http://www.religionnews.com/2014/05/07/atheist-tv-coming-soon-television-near/</a></p>
<p>This is a long overdue event that hopefully will help further the exposure to the atheist cause in America. It is my sincerest hope that they do well.</p>
<p></p>The Atheist me - Spirittag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-03-09:1982180:BlogPost:14398532014-03-09T17:15:29.000ZEMil Wentzelhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/EMilWentzel
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png" target="_self">The Latest - "The Atheist me" Comic</a></p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png?width=750" width="750"></img></a> Blog post at :…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png">The Latest - "The Atheist me" Comic</a></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/pVOWqi0dq18nqJkUFkfJPFQYwe2VSIfvawklYaYDjSu9m8KYTJPbywlJqhwzGcNuyjjokrDMG5KinDS0J8EeM3h*v4HPQWhv/Atheist_me_spirit.png?width=750" width="750"/></a>Blog post at : <a href="http://theatheistme.wordpress.com/2014/03/09/spirit/">http://theatheistme.wordpress.com/2014/03/09/spirit/</a></p>Episode 18: Religious Rights or Preferential Treatment (Part 2/2)tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2014-01-02:1982180:BlogPost:14214702014-01-02T18:11:04.000ZFacts Before Faithhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/FactsBeforeFaith
<p><strong>In This Episode: (Warning! Potentially Offensive Content! As usual.)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span><b>Religious prisoners sue for ceremonial food.</b></span></li>
<li><b>Muslim prisoners sue for 5 prayers a day.</b></li>
<li><strong>Woman sues United States Council of Bishops for directing Catholic hospitals to put religious beliefs above her safety.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><b>Reoccurring</b><strong> Segments:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Who Said…</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>In This Episode: (Warning! Potentially Offensive Content! As usual.)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span><b>Religious prisoners sue for ceremonial food.</b></span></li>
<li><b>Muslim prisoners sue for 5 prayers a day.</b></li>
<li><strong>Woman sues United States Council of Bishops for directing Catholic hospitals to put religious beliefs above her safety.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><b>Reoccurring</b><strong> Segments:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Who Said That</strong></li>
<li><span><b>Vacuous Signs for Religious Minds</b></span></li>
<li><strong>Outtakes</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>**Note** Leave comments through the COMMENTS &amp; CORRECTIONS page. Not through the link below the audio player. Thanks!</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>You can listen to the podcast through:</p>
<p>iTunes</p>
<p><a href="http://www.factsbeforefaith.com">www.factsbeforefaith.com</a></p>
<p>Right Here: </p>
<p><a href="http://media.blubrry.com/factsbeforefaith/www.factsbeforefaith.com/podcasts/FactsBeforeFaith_Ep18.mp3" target="_blank">Click Here to Download Episode</a></p>Facts Before Faith podcast/ I get to perform communion Xmas evetag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-12-25:1982180:BlogPost:14189542013-12-25T03:01:13.000ZJake W. Andrewshttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/JakeWAndrews
So I have not been back in 2 years or so. So life has a drastic positive change for me. I have settled in as a software engineer, and I love bragging and being self absorbed- what are blogs for anyway?- and now have a job doing software testing avionics software (aerospace) and I FINALLY have a 401k and health benefits and employer matching on both, though they are a Christian based company, but not enforced. And I am getting married in June of 2014, so life went from bleak to grand! Now on to…
So I have not been back in 2 years or so. So life has a drastic positive change for me. I have settled in as a software engineer, and I love bragging and being self absorbed- what are blogs for anyway?- and now have a job doing software testing avionics software (aerospace) and I FINALLY have a 401k and health benefits and employer matching on both, though they are a Christian based company, but not enforced. And I am getting married in June of 2014, so life went from bleak to grand! Now on to the topic<br />
<br />
Facts before faith is a growing podcast in the west michigan area, and...yours truly is a co-host! So please have a listen. Martin Kale started the podcast as a madman looking to give light to fellow w.michigan atheists agnostics, but being a single podcaster is somewhat boring in my opinion, and asked if myself and other co-host Tim Van Haitsma would be apart of the goodies, so the first several episodes are just him and his boring rants, later on it is our boring rants surfacing to add to the mayhem. It is explicitly crude comedic, entertaining, and has a gag reel at the end of most episodes to add to the hilarity.<br />
<br />
Now. That being said. I am serving communion tonight at the Xmas eve service with the fiancé and her family. How about that, an atheist serving communion on Xmas eve. My mother would be surprised and proud, though that is shortly lived after the fact that I have an atheist podcast once a month<br />
<br />
New beginnings, conquered obstacles, and great life makes me happy, one could say I am blessed...errr something to that extent.<br />
<br />
Please leave comments and possible future topics and please visit our podcast at<br />
<br />
Factsbeforefaith.com<br />
<br />
Thank youWe're an atheist podcast from Michigan...tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-12-20:1982180:BlogPost:14179062013-12-20T18:00:00.000ZFacts Before Faithhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/FactsBeforeFaith
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/A8I8pebmYzr5jY93osNIgbgdrBIHG7cU0rt3becX6Gv6dZyrF5UrzorO8pG2z*VE-tKaXMKq7AATgUx3P9roKHQY50ayCy-H/FactsBeforeFaith_Logo_Twitter.jpg" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/A8I8pebmYzr5jY93osNIgbgdrBIHG7cU0rt3becX6Gv6dZyrF5UrzorO8pG2z*VE-tKaXMKq7AATgUx3P9roKHQY50ayCy-H/FactsBeforeFaith_Logo_Twitter.jpg?width=750" width="750"></img></a> We're an atheist podcast from Michigan. Facts Before Faith asks you to get the facts before putting your faith in ideas, institutions or individuals. <br></br> <br></br> The show started out a in 2011 as a way for me to document my departure from religion. It was rather cathartic. Now I have co-hosts and…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/A8I8pebmYzr5jY93osNIgbgdrBIHG7cU0rt3becX6Gv6dZyrF5UrzorO8pG2z*VE-tKaXMKq7AATgUx3P9roKHQY50ayCy-H/FactsBeforeFaith_Logo_Twitter.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/A8I8pebmYzr5jY93osNIgbgdrBIHG7cU0rt3becX6Gv6dZyrF5UrzorO8pG2z*VE-tKaXMKq7AATgUx3P9roKHQY50ayCy-H/FactsBeforeFaith_Logo_Twitter.jpg?width=750" width="750"/></a>We're an atheist podcast from Michigan. Facts Before Faith asks you to get the facts before putting your faith in ideas, institutions or individuals. <br/> <br/> The show started out a in 2011 as a way for me to document my departure from religion. It was rather cathartic. Now I have co-hosts and the show is a lot more informative and entertaining. We talk religion, politics and LGBTQ rights.<br/> <br/> You can listen to us on iTunes or at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.factsbeforefaith.com">www.factsbeforefaith.com</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>Please rate us on iTunes and feel free to leave feedback on our Comments &amp; Corrections page.<br/> <br/> Thanks!</p>The Celestial Teapot's Issue #4 is out!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-10-10:1982180:BlogPost:13876522013-10-10T17:57:11.000ZCelestialTeapothttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/CelestialTeapot
<p>If you’re anything like me you get excited about new possibilities and technologies, and your imagination gets very stimulated by thinking of future advances. This issue does just that for your braindbuds: we’ve created an homage to Brave New World with articles on operant conditioning, sleep-learning, reproductive technology and psychological manipulation. We’ve also got some great new scientific developments that are coming to fruition now or in the near future of 2014: Memristor…</p>
<p>If you’re anything like me you get excited about new possibilities and technologies, and your imagination gets very stimulated by thinking of future advances. This issue does just that for your braindbuds: we’ve created an homage to Brave New World with articles on operant conditioning, sleep-learning, reproductive technology and psychological manipulation. We’ve also got some great new scientific developments that are coming to fruition now or in the near future of 2014: Memristor technology, Gravitational Wave Detectors and Human Augmentation. Plus, have you ever heard of a lab-grown burger?</p>
<p>Donald Herrera Fairbairn has gotten hold of Dale McGowan for an exclusive interview, Chantelle Moghadam has done great journalistic work in “Atheist Communities: Where’s the Heart?” As always, Hilarious Horoscopes, comics and Poetry are here to amuse you.</p>
<p>I’d also like to give a special thanks to the wonderful illustrators who have contributed to this issue: Jaime Jasso whose work graces the cover, Ciara Kenny who custom-created the illustration on page 7 and Secular Ink whose pieces are featured in this issue’s Artists Corner.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Irene for <a href="http://celestialteapotmagazine.com/" target="_blank">The Celestial Teapot</a></p>My "secret" atheist blogtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-09-09:1982180:BlogPost:13736502013-09-09T17:18:59.000ZA.T. Heisthttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ATHeist615
<p>Let me explain a few things, right off the bat:</p>
<ul>
<li>I recently became convinced (again) that my so-called Christian faith was a crumbling edifice just last week at a Bible study, of all things.</li>
<li>Even though I've always been too weak to stick with atheism as a worldview in the past, I think, in my own mind, it's the only thing that really makes sense.</li>
<li>Because I have a church job, and it's a pretty significant portion of my income, I am unable at this time to "come…</li>
</ul>
<p>Let me explain a few things, right off the bat:</p>
<ul>
<li>I recently became convinced (again) that my so-called Christian faith was a crumbling edifice just last week at a Bible study, of all things.</li>
<li>Even though I've always been too weak to stick with atheism as a worldview in the past, I think, in my own mind, it's the only thing that really makes sense.</li>
<li>Because I have a church job, and it's a pretty significant portion of my income, I am unable at this time to "come out of the closet" about my atheism. But I'm hoping using this blog as a bit of a release will help me build up to a time when I can be more honest.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, on the family front, even though she has some problems with church hypocrisy and whatnot, I believe my wife will continue to remain a Christian. I can't see her ever deserting her faith. So at the moment, I'm not admitting anything to her on this front, either. Once again, I hope to build up to it.</li>
<li>What we will do about bringing up our daughters, <em>vis a vis</em> atheism and Christianity, I really don't know. I'm taking baby steps at the moment.</li>
</ul>
<p>For a long time, I've kept a "secret" journal at, of all things, a Mormon journal site. On that site, I've been pretty forthright with myself about all my private exploring of religion and lack thereof. But I think I need to get some of my ideas out in the open, and I think this blog will be an opportunity to do that. Because I'm still "in the closet," I'm sticking with my pseudonym for the time being. Obviously, A.T. Heist is not my real name. But it'll do for now. I guess, if you want to address me in comments and whatnot, you can call me "A.T." Or whatever...it's up to you.</p>
<p>One thing I'd like to explore just a bit in this first post, now that I've gotten all of the above out of the way, is the irony that I lost my faith after a Bible study. Well, maybe it isn't so ironic. I imagine lots of atheists who used to be religious started off by questioning that ancient book that's supposed to be the Ultimate Authority. In the past, the several times I've questioned my faith (at least 9 times in the past three years, by my reckoning), it usually comes after reading the Bible, and realizing how absurd the whole thing is. But like many people, I've spent years sort of partitioning my mind into the stuff I accept on a daily basis as fact, and the stuff that is part of my religion--stuff I'm supposed to talk about as if it's fact, or at least "spiritual truth." It's only when I'm absolutely honest with myself that I just have to admit, it's all just a bit too ridiculous, isn't it? (And by "a bit," I mean "completely.) This loving God who created everything is so vain that he wants people to worship him. And not only that, he wants them to worship him by believing in things that are completely unbelievable. And even more amazing, if we don't figure out exactly which set of ridiculous things we should believe, the result will be everlasting torment. Or if you like the slightly more liberal Christian version, everlasting separation from the God we supposedly chose to deny, a separation which will be like torment in comparison to the blissful existence we can expect if we choose to be with him forever. OMG, as we say in the online biz. WTF?</p>
<p>Anyway, I'll try to share more of my thoughts in future posts, and perhaps work out some idea of how I may someday be able to "come out of the closet" regarding my atheism. Thanks for reading.</p>Atheist Admires Pope Francis. So what?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-08-13:1982180:BlogPost:13641482013-08-13T18:00:43.000ZDr. Bobhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ProfessorRobert
<p>I ran across this piece by a on a blog maintained by the order. I thought the piece was quite good, actually, and reflects my own views in many ways, and the comments the author makes both to Catholics and indirectly about atheists might be of interest to those here. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p dir="ltr">It’s not uncommon for my various social newsfeeds to look like an avalanche of news about Pope Francis; it’s an occupational hazard of (i) being a Jesuit and (ii) knowing a lot of Catholics.…</p>
<p>I ran across this piece by a on a blog maintained by the order. I thought the piece was quite good, actually, and reflects my own views in many ways, and the comments the author makes both to Catholics and indirectly about atheists might be of interest to those here. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p dir="ltr">It’s not uncommon for my various social newsfeeds to look like an avalanche of news about Pope Francis; it’s an occupational hazard of (i) being a Jesuit and (ii) knowing a lot of Catholics. However, Stephan Marche’s (brief) article <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/pope-francis-is-awesome">“It’s Time To Admit It: Pope Francis is Kind of Awesome,”</a> caught my eye for two important reasons. The first is that the article was published in Esquire, a fine publication and one not particularly known for its coverage of Vatican news. The second is that the author is a self-professed atheist. And if there’s one thing that can get Catholics and secular types reading the same article, it’s using the A-word in close proximity to religious words. It’s a form of alchemy in the age of online news: [atheism/atheist/secular] plus [Catholic Church/pope/religion]=search engine and social media gold.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For all the explosive possibilities of an atheist writing on a major religious figure (or vice-versa, for that matter), Marche advances a relatively modest set of points. He likes Francis. Like so many others, believers and otherwise, he’s taken with the small gestures offered by the pope and hopeful that the small gestures are signs of still greater points of dialogue. Marche’s very personal assessment of Pope Francis and Catholicism more generally comes across as generous and thoughtful, but measured and balanced by some striking critiques.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It would be easy for a Catholic to read Marche’s article as a straightforward win for the home team. (The headline doesn’t help much – it wouldn’t be hard for a Catholic to see it and the first paragraph and conclude that an equally applicable headline would be “Atheist Observes Pope, Sees The Light”). And that would be a mistake. While Marche is clearly impressed by Pope Francis, he shows no obvious signs of wavering in his non-belief, and he doesn’t hesitate to point out less-than-inspiring news items about other Church leaders.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This even treatment is what makes this article a must-read for believers, especially Catholics. In an age of ‘<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=evangelical%20atheist">evangelical atheism</a>,’ true encounters between religious believers and “friendly atheists” (i.e., non-believers willing to take religious types seriously), believers should listen and listen well. Whether writers like Marche or those among our friends and family who fit the description, these non-believers are often the ones who can help us see our own, familiar religiosity through fresh eyes. They can be stingingly honest about about how believers are confusing, off-putting, and even falling disastrously short of what we say we are. On this point, Marche singles out what he perceives as the incongruity between papal calls for social justice and the ermine vestments favored by some popes. At the same time, he lets believers know what they find appealing. In a striking remark, Marche observes:</p>
<p dir="ltr">These little gestures make a big difference. The Catholic Church may be the last major institution in the world that makes a coherent argument against total absorption in consumer capitalism.</p>
<p>Pope Francis has been a bit player in this article to this point, but perhaps it’s worth noting that one of Francis’s repeated calls has been for an “outward-looking” a Church that escapes from the rot of being self-referential. The antidote to self-reference, of course, is other-reference. Like most images in the mirror, impressions from non-believers can reveal both beauty and ugliness that we don’t particularly want to see, but when we’re blessed enough to get honest, searching reflections from sincere non-believers, we ignore them at our peril.</p>So a Christian doesn't tolerate my views - why be so annoyed?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-05-19:1982180:BlogPost:13140542013-05-19T16:30:00.000ZEljayhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/LaurieArmitage
<p>Just why can’t we let some things go? Why do some things bother us more than others? Why do some things bother some people more than other people? These are things about which I deem myself to have some insight; hopefully more than some, since I’m a therapist working somewhere within the psychotherapy field.</p>
<p>Let’s break it down: put very simply, there are three types of recognised personalities within psychology. One is a very sensitive type, prone to traits of emotional delicateness,…</p>
<p>Just why can’t we let some things go? Why do some things bother us more than others? Why do some things bother some people more than other people? These are things about which I deem myself to have some insight; hopefully more than some, since I’m a therapist working somewhere within the psychotherapy field.</p>
<p>Let’s break it down: put very simply, there are three types of recognised personalities within psychology. One is a very sensitive type, prone to traits of emotional delicateness, one is very brooding and ruminative, and the other is a little bit more shallow, outgoing and hysterical. Of course, no one person is one particular type of personality, they are an amalgam of all three, with, usually, one predominant type which marks them as being the personality type that they are. No matter which you are, though, you’ll often find some traits from another type creeping in.</p>
<p>Now, I know ways to deal with the side-effects which certain traits can bring with them. I’m particularly proud of the way with which I have not suppressed, but dealt with some of the traits more detrimental to myself; I have successfully changed some of my thinking styles and enabled myself to live freer and generally more happily. However, today I found the brooding, ruminative trait trying to creep in much more than usual. I was annoyed.</p>
<p>My wife was once Catholic. She now despises the restrictions she felt Catholicism had placed upon her previously in her life and ignorant comments from religious bigots rightly annoy her. I often see their ignorance as their problem; their ignorance is cause for concern but I don’t let it bother me. I learn from it, and I tell her to stop brooding on it and do the same. She can’t watch the <i>God Channel</i> without getting wound up. Personally, I love it. Still, today she showed me a comment placed by her brother’s girlfriend on Facebook. The girlfriend in question had evidently very recently seen Ricky Gervais’s film ‘The Invention Of Lying’, and clearly, it had ruined her night. Well, well. 18 hours ago, she compiled a thread on everyone’s favourite social networking site comprising little gems such as “The Invention Of Lying – what an underhand insult to those of faith!”, “Watch it properly, it’s literally having a go at Christians urghh” and “Suppose I’m just annoyed because it’s become acceptable to slander the Christian nowadays and heaven forbid we stand strong and rebuke it!”.</p>
<p>I couldn’t help but be somewhat irked. What had happened differently this time which had so easily made a little knot in my chest and caused a furrowing of my brow? To quote Wodehouse’s Bertie Wooster, “I strained the old bean until it creaked, but between the collar and the hair parting, nothing stirred”. I supposed I had just not started the day quite as well as I start most, and I had allowed myself to become annoyed by someone else’s naïve ignorance. Silly me. I went to work, left it all behind, got on with the day and generally, life was good. BUT. When I returned home from work and my wife mentioned it again to me, I brushed it aside politely, finished my dinner and duly jumped into the bath for an unwind. And THAT’S when it hit me. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend, who has previously condemned me to damnation for my atheism and (admittedly, in a rather roundabout way) accused me of being a threat to the salvation of others through it, had now belittled my freedom, and there was no way my mind was going to take it lightly.</p>
<p>Recently, my dad accidentally let slip to our cousins in Alabama, in the good old U-S-of-A that I was an atheist. It didn’t go down well. What an insult – they said they “couldn’t believe they had someone like that in the family”. They said they were going to say a prayer for me. It all rang true – more than blacks and gays, atheists are the most stigmatised minority in America (so I had read, anyway) and here I was, on the receiving end of it in the UK, where it matters so little that my father had quite innocently not realised just what he had said to our cousins. I got that same feeling then that I did again today. They hadn’t considered that other people can and should have differing views from them. It was 0-60 in a second, battle-horns sounding without any negotiations or talks. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend had now done the same.</p>
<p>Freedom is one of the greatest things in life; no matter where in your principles you might hold it, for most it’s a prized thing, and great things come at high prices. If you want equal rights, you have to take equal punishment, so to speak. If you want freedom, you have to pay the price. So why was the girlfriend in question not allowing freedom? Why was she not allowing <i>herself</i> freedom? Why was she seemingly going against atheists and cutting off her own nose to spite her face? Well, she didn’t understand. I know her pretty well – she doesn’t understand that it’s still taboo to criticise religion, even in this day and age. She doesn’t understand that Christianity has had its way and its say for a damn sight longer than any atheist ever has. She doesn’t understand that she <i>doesn’t</i> have the right NOT to be offended.</p>
<p>I don’t especially enjoy criticism of my beliefs. Am I ever offended by being criticised? Of course! But no one has to tolerate any of my beliefs about the universe and my beliefs aren’t afforded the special protection that Christianity has enjoyed for perhaps all too long. I don’t have the right to special pleading. And that’s exactly the way it should be – I <i>shouldn’t</i> have any rights to any form of special pleading. No one should. I don’t like her views, but her mind obviously works differently to mine and I fully support her <i>right</i> to hold those views and air them, 100%. I don’t support her ideas that Christianity should be exempt from criticism, and I think it’s silly that a film which criticises Christianity (not Christians per se, as she holds) causes her to fill with bile and wax loopy on atheists because of it, and to then to pass it all off as it being down to how it’s “acceptable to slander the Christian nowadays”. Nowadays?!</p>
<p>Here’s where it all comes together – she had belittled my freedom because of her lack of understanding of what freedom constitutes. After hundreds of years of “clerical bullying” (thanks, Christopher Hitchens), atheists being able to openly criticise religion is a big advance towards the “conversational intolerance” advocated by Sam Harris. We don’t have to eliminate religion, we just have to promote a culture where it is acceptable for any idea to be criticised and this criticism be deemed another step forward, another lesson learned, another step towards idealised freedom for everyone, instead of warring over it, metaphorically or literally.</p>
<p>In her ignorance, she made these comments because she feels her self-worth is being attacked. Deeming herself a strong Christian, her self-worth is so interwoven in the idea she holds so true, she is unable to separate the two. Ricky Gervais wasn’t being “underhand” and blatantly insolent – he was doing exactly what he should be doing. His cinematic criticism of the religion she adheres to was taken as an attack on herself. I have to conclude that although it’s annoying, she’s blinkered, and I have to content myself with honestly believing that I enjoy more of that much-coveted freedom than she can ever be afforded whilst she so constricts herself within the limitations of her theistic principles.</p>
<p>There’s no disputing that I’m far from the first person ever to make this case. I won’t be the last either, but I’m the only one to put it all in my own words. Long may I have the freedom to do so.</p>Why you so angry, atheists? Whyyyyyy?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-05-14:1982180:BlogPost:13099802013-05-14T17:28:33.000ZMisty: Baytheist Living!http://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/MMartin
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Let's get something straight.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Not everyone that's perceived as a bitch is actually unhappy. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Let's get another thing straight. </p>
<p>I'm a bitch. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Knowing just what to say and when to say it is a talent of mine.</p>
<p>If the words I type piss you off, usually that was my exact intention. Thanks for playing.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Please don't mistake my mockery for misery. I'm not unhappy, in fact, I'm laughing at you right…</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Let's get something straight.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Not everyone that's perceived as a bitch is actually unhappy. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Let's get another thing straight. </p>
<p>I'm a bitch. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Knowing just what to say and when to say it is a talent of mine.</p>
<p>If the words I type piss you off, usually that was my exact intention. Thanks for playing.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Please don't mistake my mockery for misery. I'm not unhappy, in fact, I'm laughing at you right now. </p>
<p>Laughter=happy. Ta-da! </p>
<p>That said.....It's quite amusing to be accused of anger/bitterness/bad aura/whatthefuckever the minute I pull out the big red 'A' card. (Even when I'm behaving myself.) </p>
<p>More than likely it's all coincidence, but it's been a repetitive theme this week. </p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, I did a site search to see just how many times "Angry' came up in discussion. </p>
<p>It's a surprisingly sparse subject here, actually. That's why I'm writing this. </p>
<p></p>
<p>What does it mean to be angry?</p>
<p>I'm not talking about an emotional reaction to justified stimuli. People get angry. That's part of the human experience. </p>
<p></p>
<p>I'm not even talking about the psychological evolution that takes place under oppression, stress or threat. I'd say young minority men should have a disproportionate down tick on the happy scale in America. Bullshit makes people angry, but generally, if you remove the shit, the core personality remains the same. </p>
<p>What is the psychological make-up of someone that's perpetually angry? Does it stem from helplessness or the sense of helplessness?</p>
<p>The angriest people I know are affluent older white men, truth be told. </p>
<p>I think the majority of people mistake the word 'mean' for 'angry' when dealing with atheists. </p>
<p>A person can be mean and happy at the same time. Hell, sometimes being mean actually makes me happy! I've never seen anyone angry and happy simultaneously.</p>
<p>I'm beyond satisfied with my life. Seriously. I wake up every day looking forward to each minute. </p>
<p>I'm a homebrewer. I'm a stoner that loves to debate for the sake of debate. Discussion makes me happy, not angry. Perhaps that accusation is a projection of the speaker, and not so much of a reflection on my own behavior. I say things that piss people off. Maybe it's their own emotions they are trying to express, not mine. </p>
<p>Hmmm....</p>
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<p></p>Just Some News :)tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-05-13:1982180:BlogPost:13098342013-05-13T19:00:00.000ZMatt Dillonhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/MattDillon
<p>In Oklahoma, an atheist high school student and his family face threats and intimidation from angry Christians after the young atheist had the courage to report the unconstitutional display of the Ten Commandments<a href="http://ateista.isourchurch.com/" target="_self"></a> in his public school classrooms.</p>
<p>On Saturday, May 11, atheist Gage Pulliam, a Junior at Muldrow High School, explained to the Friendly Atheist why he was motivated to blow the whistle on the unconstitutional…</p>
<p>In Oklahoma, an atheist high school student and his family face threats and intimidation from angry Christians after the young atheist had the courage to report the unconstitutional display of the Ten Commandments<a href="http://ateista.isourchurch.com/" target="_self"></a> in his public school classrooms.</p>
<p>On Saturday, May 11, atheist Gage Pulliam, a Junior at Muldrow High School, explained to the Friendly Atheist why he was motivated to blow the whistle on the unconstitutional display of the Ten Commandments, and the consequences of speaking out against the religious display.</p>
<p>Pulliam reports his younger sister has faced verbal harassment over the issue, and some students have threatened violence against him.</p>
<p>Despite the threats, intimidation and abuse, Pulliam explains that his intention is not to attack Christianity, as some local pastors and Christian students claim. Rather, Pulliam :</p>
<p>"I want people to know this isn't me trying to attack religion. This is me trying to create an environment for kids where they can feel equal."</p>
<p>The fierce community backlash began after Pulliam contacted the Freedom from Religion Foundation, who then wrote a letter to the district demanding that the plaques be taken down and warning that the displays represent a violation of the U.S. Constitution.</p>
<p>According to reports, the Muldrow school board is scheduled to hold a "discussion concerning The Ten Commandments issue," on Monday night.</p>
<p><em>For more news, information and humor relevant to atheists, freethinkers, and secular humanists, check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Progressive-Secular-Humanist-Examiner/123916950969259" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Progressive Secular Humanist Examiner</a> on Facebook.</em></p>
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<p><em>source: <a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/atheist-student-faces-harassment-after-ten-commandments-complaint">http://www.examiner.com/article/atheist-student-faces-harassment-after-ten-commandments-complaint</a></em></p>who does the responsibility of proof fall to?tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-04-26:1982180:BlogPost:12996542013-04-26T16:30:00.000ZLance Angus Mileshttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/LanceAngusMiles
<p>one big topic that comes up in theist vs atheist debates is who does the responsibility of proof fall to?</p>
<p>does it fall to the creationists to prove that god DOES exist?</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>does it fall upon those who do believe that god does NOT exist?</p>
<p>AND, can you give your reason(s) why?</p>
<p>I personally think that it is the creationists responsibility to prove god's existance BECAUSE: throughout the entire history of science, science has only ever proven the existance of…</p>
<p>one big topic that comes up in theist vs atheist debates is who does the responsibility of proof fall to?</p>
<p>does it fall to the creationists to prove that god DOES exist?</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>does it fall upon those who do believe that god does NOT exist?</p>
<p>AND, can you give your reason(s) why?</p>
<p>I personally think that it is the creationists responsibility to prove god's existance BECAUSE: throughout the entire history of science, science has only ever proven the existance of things, science has NEVER proven that something DOES NOT exhist. eg. earth, air, fire and water were proven not to be elements, because of the discovery of the EXISTANCE of the true elements (hydrogen, carbon etc), but neither earth, air, fire or water were proven not to exist by this discovery, they were simply proven not to be fundamental elements. the EXISTANCE of the atom was proven, and that discovery did not prove the NON-EXISTANCE of anything. the EXISTANCE of the forces of Gravity, Electromagnetism, Strong and Weak nuclear forces have all been proven, but that too has not proven the NON-EXISTANCE of anything. same goes for the existance of micro-organisms, dinosaurs, black holes, other stars, planets, galaxies, protons, electrons, electrons, neutrons, matter, antimatter, energy etc (the list of things that exhist is very VERY long). not once has science ever proven that something does NOT exhist, so why should it start now? why is there no evidence for the non-existance of non-existant things? because non-exhistant things have non-existant evidence for their non-existance, therefore you do not need to provide evidence that proves that something does not exhist, but if you claim that something DOES exhist, you must provide the proof or evidence that it exhists.</p>
<p>please i encourage anyone to comment if they can think of an instance where something has been proven not to exist, unlike the vast majority of creationists, I am open to new knowledge and new information and to changing my personal views and beliefs and to being proven wrong, i am always looking to review and refine my definitions and explanations of my knowledge and beliefs.</p>"An Atheist Heaven"tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-04-10:1982180:BlogPost:12921442013-04-10T16:45:13.000ZScot Kvetonhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/ScotKveton
<p>I'm not sure how many of you have seen this before but I loved it. It gives a really compelling argument that I plan on using in my religion debates with my friends as soon as possible. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2XWSCQ/:1-yj.IO_K:HZPZl5!x/9joke.net/an-atheist-heaven/">http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2XWSCQ/:1-yj.IO_K:HZPZl5!x/9joke.net/an-atheist-heaven/</a></p>
<p>I'm not sure how many of you have seen this before but I loved it. It gives a really compelling argument that I plan on using in my religion debates with my friends as soon as possible. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2XWSCQ/:1-yj.IO_K:HZPZl5!x/9joke.net/an-atheist-heaven/">http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2XWSCQ/:1-yj.IO_K:HZPZl5!x/9joke.net/an-atheist-heaven/</a></p>Atheist Group Created at Christian School Wants Official Recognitiontag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-26:1982180:BlogPost:12647422013-02-26T22:41:18.000ZRob Klaershttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RobKlaers
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<div class="headline"><h1 class="node-title"><span style="font-size: 13px;">A group of students who attend the Texas Christian University have created an atheist organization.</span></h1>
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<div class="story-image-sourcing"><div class="story-image-source"><p>Minnesota Atheists march in the Twin Cities Gay Pride Parade on June 26, 2011.<br/> <cite>Photo Credit: miker / Shutterstock.com</cite></p>
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<div class="story-date"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span class="font-size-3"><strong><em>February 26, 2013</em></strong></span> | </span></div>
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<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">A group of students who attend the Texas Christian University have created an atheist organization, and they now want official recognition from their school. Th</span>e<a href="http://christiannews.net/2013/02/24/atheist-group-formed-at-christian-university-seeking-official-recognition/"><em>Christian News Network </em>reports</a> <span style="color: #ff6600;">that the group is called the “Freethinking Frogs,” a reference to the school mascot.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">The group was formed by 32-year-old transfer student Alexis Lohse. She</span> <a href="http://christiannews.net/2013/02/24/atheist-group-formed-at-christian-university-seeking-official-recognition/">told the Christian news outlet</a> <span style="color: #ff6600;">that the organization is for people who are agnostic and secular. She also told <em>The Fort News Weekly</em> that she wanted to form a group to support students who thought outside the Christian box.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">University officials say that they have received the application for official recognition, and that a decision will be made soon.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Lohse’s group has about 30 members.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">“I saw that there wasn’t any support system for students who don’t have a particular faith,” said Lohse. “And that’s in stark contrast to the vast number of religiously affiliated organizations available to students. So I thought it might be a good group to set up.”</span><br/></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">The school already hosts 20 groups on campus, including Jewish, Muslim and Catholic clubs.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">“The mission of the Freethinking Frogs is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics,” the club’s Facebook page states. “We envision a future in which nontheistic students are respected voices in public discourse and vital partners in the secular movement’s charge against irrationality and dogma.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Atheist and non-believing students at other schools have run into trouble when they tried to organize.</span> <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-11-04/atheist-college-campus/51073822/1">In November 2011, the <em>Religion News Service</em> reported</a><span style="color: #ff6600;"> that the University of Dayton, a Roman Catholic school, rejected an application for a group called the Society of Freethinkers. That means the club is unable to meet on campus, tap college funds or use campus media.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">“The Dayton students are not alone. The</span> <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Secular+Student+Alliance">Secular Student Alliance</a><span style="color: #ff6600;">, a national organization of nontheistic students with 320 campus chapters, reports at least two other religious universities — </span><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Organizations/Schools/University+of+Notre+Dame">Notre Dame</a> <span style="color: #ff6600;">and Baylor — have rejected clubs for atheist, agnostic, humanist and other nontheistic students,” the <em>Religion News Service</em> noted.</span></p>
<p>You can read the full article <a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/atheist-group-created-christian-school-wants-official-recognition" target="_blank">here</a>.. </p>
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</div>From a "Jesus Person" to a Real Persontag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-20:1982180:BlogPost:12622152013-02-20T00:01:32.000ZRob Klaershttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RobKlaers
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><i>2/18/2013</i></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><i>By DustyLady ~ </i></span></p>
<blockquote><span style="color: #ff6600;">"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need."- Jerry Gillies.</span></blockquote>
<p><br></br> <span style="color: #ff6600;">I’ve been a lifetime seeker. Its been a long road with a lot of detours, but I feel like I have finally found my…</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><i>2/18/2013</i></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><i>By DustyLady ~ </i></span></p>
<blockquote><span style="color: #ff6600;">"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need."- Jerry Gillies.</span></blockquote>
<p><br/> <span style="color: #ff6600;">I’ve been a lifetime seeker. Its been a long road with a lot of detours, but I feel like I have finally found my so-called “spiritual” path.</span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff6600;">I did not grow up in a religious home. I was told that we were Lutheran, but my parents were big partiers and drinkers and we never went to church. Although, my dad took me to church once as a child and it felt weird and kind of phony to me. When I was a kid, the only reading material in our home was my dad’s old psychology books from college, and an encyclopedia. I had a voracious appetite for answers. Around the age of 13, I started frequenting the library and read everything from sci fi to non fiction books on anything and everything. I was very much a ‘female nerd’ and still am to this day.</span><br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff6600;">My dad had grown up very religious, and it was there in his background but hadn’t really come to the forefront like it did when he retired. As a teenager I used to try to have discussions with him about religion, but when he insisted that he believed in hell, that would frustrate me because it just never made any sense to me, and I’d ultimately walk away in a huff from the discussion.</span><br/> <br/> <span><span style="color: #ff6600;">As a teen, I became enraptured with “eastern religions” and loved books such as “Be Here Now” by</span> </span><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Ram Dass">Baba Ram Das</a><span><span style="color: #ff6600;"> and books by</span> </span><a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Alan Watts">Alan Watts</a><span>. <span style="color: #ff6600;">Also, “Autobiography of a Yogi” was one of my favorites and I took a home study course from the Self Realization Fellowship. Once, I went to an Alan Watts lecture in Los Angeles and the girlfriend I had taken with me walked out on the lecture because he was putting down people who believed in a god up in the sky. I thought she was closed minded.</span></span></p>
<p>You can read the read of the blog here..<br/> <br/> <a href="http://new.exchristian.net/2013/02/from-jesus-person-to-real-person.html">http://new.exchristian.net/2013/02/from-jesus-person-to-real-person.html</a></p>Tune in to Skeptically Yours tonight at 8pm PST!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-02-18:1982180:BlogPost:12617082013-02-18T21:47:49.000ZHeather Hendersonhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/HeatherHenderson
<p class="p1">Hey Everybunny!</p>
<p class="p2"></p>
<p class="p1">Join us again for Skeptically Yours at our NEW TIME, MONDAYS at 8PM PST!</p>
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<p class="p3">The following folks will be in the studio:</p>
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<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>Steven Leiva …</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">Hey Everybunny!</p>
<p class="p2"></p>
<p class="p1">Join us again for Skeptically Yours at our NEW TIME, MONDAYS at 8PM PST!</p>
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<p class="p3">The following folks will be in the studio:</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>Steven Leiva </b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500778/"><b>http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500778/</b></a><b> </b></span></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>&amp; </b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Traveling-in-Space-by-Steven-Paul-Leiva/247835125228907"><b>http://www.facebook.com/pages/Traveling-in-Space-by-Steven-Paul-Leiva/247835125228907</b></a></span></p>
<p class="p6"></p>
<p class="p7"><span class="s2"><b>Ian Harris -</b> <a href="http://www.theevolutionofcomedy.com/"><b>www.theevolutionofcomedy.com</b></a><b> </b></span></p>
<p class="p5"><b>@comediocre</b></p>
<p class="p6"></p>
<p class="p8">AND</p>
<p class="p6"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>Maurice Northup - </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sifumokung"><b>https://www.facebook.com/sifumokung</b></a><b> </b></span></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>@GuyFaquenaim</b></span></p>
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<p class="p3">Hey! Why don't you repost this on your profile and tweet us all over the place? </p>
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<p class="p1"><a href="http://gocastnetwork.com/">http://gocastnetwork.com</a></p>Speech I gave about Godtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2013-01-13:1982180:BlogPost:12470002013-01-13T11:51:34.000ZAshley Johnsonhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/AshleyJohnson
<p> </p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">In my public speaking class, we were assigned to write a speech. The speech needed to use either facts or emotional appeal to persuade the audience. I wrote this in a very short amount of time. Haha... I got one slow clap by a nice girl in my class. A boy in the front row said he lost all respect for me. What do you guys think of it?<b><br></br><br></br><br></br><br></br><br></br><br></br><br></br>God is Imaginary</b></p>
<blockquote><p><br></br> I used to…</p>
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<p> </p>
<p align="center" style="text-align: center;">In my public speaking class, we were assigned to write a speech. The speech needed to use either facts or emotional appeal to persuade the audience. I wrote this in a very short amount of time. Haha... I got one slow clap by a nice girl in my class. A boy in the front row said he lost all respect for me. What do you guys think of it?<b><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>God is Imaginary</b></p>
<blockquote><p><br/> I used to believe in God when I was a kid. The whole idea of someone creating me and the world was fascinating. Later I realized I was wrong. I was not created by some all powerful and all knowing being. The world around me was so beautiful, but there was no way a God could have made it.</p>
<p> The very definition of God proves against him: <br/> “A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions.” -Dictionary.com<br/> Here is a lovely quote from Epicurus: <br/> “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”<br/><br/> Here is another way to understand the impossibility of God. If you look at the definition of God, you can see that he is defined as the "originator and ruler of the universe". Why does the universe need an originator, a creator? Because, according to religious logic, the universe cannot exist unless it has a creator. A believer will say, "nothing can exist unless it is created." However, that statement immediately constructs a contradiction, because we must then wonder who created God. For a believer the answer to that is simple, "God is the one thing that does not need a creator. God is timeless and has always existed." How can it be that everything MUST have a creator, while God must NOT? The contradiction in the definition of God is palpable.<br/><br/><br/> Why doesn’t God answer prayers? Why isn’t he feeding the hungry and the poor? In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says:<br/> “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”<br/> It’s strange that there are so many people who believe in God who are suffering. It’s part of his plan? Why is his plan so evil? Why does he want to watch his children suffer?</p>
<p></p>
<p> “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day”. The Bible states the Earth is around 6,500 years old. Science has proven that the earth is closer to 4.5 billion years old. The oldest discovered human fossil is approximately 1.3 million years old. That would have meant that humans lived on earth before God created either humans or the earth. This makes no sense. If the Bible says the Earth is only 6,500 years old, which is not true, and the Bible is the word of God… then is God lying? Or is the Bible the word of man? <br/><br/><br/> God was once a great idea, when we knew nothing about how the Earth was formed and how humans and life came about. To explain ignorance, we use God and religion. When we don’t know hard life questions we use God as the answer. That’s not good enough for me. I want to KNOW. I want to understand. I want the scientific proof and evidence for every question concerning the basis of life. When I’m sick, I want a doctor to help me, not prayer. When I feel all alone, I want to learn how to be comfortable that way, not talk to God. When I have nothing in life, I want to be able to pick up the pieces, not come to religion. <br/><br/></p>
<p> I will finish off with a quote by Stephen Roberts: "I contend that we are both Atheist. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods you will understand why I dismiss yours."</p>
</blockquote>
<p> <br/><br/><br/>Sorry. I didn't list sources that I got my information from. :3</p>Slavery Is Fine as Long as It Gets People Closer to God!tag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-09-05:1982180:BlogPost:11763662012-09-05T20:25:25.000ZMark Hinton IIhttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/MarkHintonII
<p>So last night, I got into a very heated, very emotional debate with someone on Facebook. In case you didn't know, that's what Facebook is for. You get on there, you find some post that some friend has put up, and you troll the shit out of it. That, obviously, is a joke, but it can sometimes be seen as truth. I took screen captures of the conversation with the woman I was "debating," but in order to keep identities private, I will not post those screen caps, even though I feel her…</p>
<p>So last night, I got into a very heated, very emotional debate with someone on Facebook. In case you didn't know, that's what Facebook is for. You get on there, you find some post that some friend has put up, and you troll the shit out of it. That, obviously, is a joke, but it can sometimes be seen as truth. I took screen captures of the conversation with the woman I was "debating," but in order to keep identities private, I will not post those screen caps, even though I feel her ignorant bigotry deserves no fucking respect. I will, however, explain the topic of the post, an abridged version of the argument, and how I feel now, the day after this conversation has ended, and the woman deleted her posts. Her deleting her posts makes me feel very victorious. Honestly, I think it says a lot when you can actually make a fundamental, literal Bible interpreter remove their bullshit from a public forum. My thoughts, however, will remain in full view, because I'm not ashamed of what the hell I believe in.</p>
<p></p>
<p>A close friend of mine posted a picture of a black preacher. On the picture it states "Condemns homosexuality because the Bible condemns it. Supports slavery because the Bible....wait a minute."</p>
<p></p>
<p>I found this picture to be quite funny, and very ironic. I got a kick out of it.</p>
<p></p>
<p>My friend that posted the picture, whom I will call Mac, was then asked by one of his friends how the Bible supported slavery. He found multiple verses within the Bible that supported slavery. He found them in roughly five minutes. It didn't take much research. It was obvious from the defensive post from his friend, whom I will call Linda, that she was Christian. She was wanting to defend her holy book. Who can blame her, right? I mean, it must be true. It's in a book.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I added to the post by saying that the Bible did in fact condone slavery, and that Mac hadn't even listed all of the parts of the Bible that said so. He listed only a few. I believe maybe 7 or 8. Regardless, I felt like he proved his point, and a couple of other people also felt the same way. He's openly atheist, and he is always defending his thoughts. I commend him. Bravo, sir.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Now, to the good part. I will post a little of what she said, just to give you an idea of what I was dealing with.</p>
<p><i>Linda: First of all, when the Bible mentions slavery in the Old Testament, it doesn't refer to "modern, civil war, southern slavery." That is so far from the slavery they knew back when these verses were written. Slaves were treated as normal members of the household...</i></p>
<p><i><br/></i>It goes on, but that was the major point of her first geyser of bullshit. I will continue with some more shit geysers.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Linda: <i>Israelites were not supposed to be hanging around and becoming all "buddy buddy" with foreigners. We can see why- when they do, they always end up worshiping false idols, becoming all prideful, causing wars and death, burning babies, etc. Hence, when you get a foreigner (</i><b>I love that she said get a foreigner, like a foreigner is a new DVD or something)</b><i>, you need not let them just roam free in your land, or go wherever they want to go: they'll end up influencing Iraelites to become immoral and ungodly. You'd think the Iraelites would be able to not be influenced. Then what do we do with the foreigners? We need to make sure they're not able to influence society in such a way as to turn us from God. We need to keep a close eye on them, and not let them do whatever they want. OR-if they became a follower of God, that'd be even better. So, how could we accomplish this?</i></p>
<p><i><br/></i>Let me start by saying I can agree with one part of this. I can understand being a bit suspicious of new, strange people being in your lands. That doesn't mean you go snatch them up and make them do all of your work and force them into slavery. Let's see what else "Linda" has to say.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Linda: <i>Remember my first point that slavery was NOT owning people as if they were allowed to be beaten and mocked and ridiculed and starved and taken away from their families and such. If they didn't perform their work, they were still fed and treated medically when needed and let sleep in good conditions; they weren't sold off or traded except with other Hebrews (who would treat them nice as well). They weren't beaten and if killed "oh well." In fact, the foreigner becoming a slave was about the best thing you could do for them.</i></p>
<p></p>
<p>I've had just about enough of reading her filth again, so I'll just stop there and let you simmer on that for a while. She is saying that it's ok to have slaves during that time because they weren't treated badly, as long as it was the Hebrews that owned the slaves. Now, she also says that the Hebrews would then preach to them and convert them. This way, they can't go back to their "pagan paths." That's what she said. I'm not kidding. So....you can own slaves as long as you follow God, because you'll treat them well, and they won't be mistreated, even though it says in the Bible that you can do whatever you want with your slaves, aside from killing them. At this point, all of my tact, kindness, and intelligence went out the window.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Here is my response:</p>
<p>Mark: <i>You just pointed out everything that makes Christianity closed-minded, ignorant, and completely bigoted. Owning people is slavery. Owning people is NOT. I repeat. NOT. Fucking ok. Not in any fucking universe. You just backed up bigotry with more bigotry. Sorry. I no longer feel the need to be nice here. I don't care how much you candy coat it or how much fluff you add, it's fucking slavery. So get out of here with that bullshit. It's amazing how much people will defend Christianity no matter how morally corrupt it is. You make me sick for even trying to justify this.</i></p>
<p></p>
<p>She ended up coming back saying that her response was accidentally "copied and pasted," and that she didn't agree with the original writer of it. I think she was full of shit, and she did write it. I responded to that by saying it made her point of view even worse because it proved she couldn't even think of her own moral reason as to why slavery was bad.</p>
<p></p>
<p>My favorite response to it all was what I said next...</p>
<p>Mark: <i>Nope. Done with this. There's no hidden meaning in the Bible. This isn't a Where's Waldo book. It's not a Magic Eye poster. I'm not going to stare at 2000 plus years of slavery, rape, and genocide and pretend that when I cross my eyes I can see a dolphin jumping over a rainbow.</i></p>
<p><i><br/></i>She got pretty pissy next and tried to call me childish. I'm sorry, I don't think flipping out on a bigot makes me childish. I'm not the one that said slavery is cool. She also said that one day maybe I would be humble enough to admit how insignificant what I think I know really is and search for the truth instead of acting like I already know it.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I do know the truth, you ignorant, hate filled thunder cunt. Slavery is not acceptable!!!! That's the fucking truth. There is no way around it. You cannot sit here, in our modern society, and say that just because the slaves were fed, clothed, and treated well, that it was ok to own other human beings and force them to work. It's not up for debate. It's not up for interpretation. This isn't a Beatles song. You can't take hidden meanings from it. If the Bible says "Hey, Hebrews, own all the people you want, God said it's cool with him," then that is what it fucking means. There's no other way to translate that. None whatsoever. It's bullshit that someone can actually think that way, try to research it, and then come back and throw a fit because I "Don't know the truth."</p>
<p></p>
<p>I do know the truth. God is the most evil villain ever created in literary history. He has caused the deaths of MILLIONS of people for thousands of years. He has halted human advancement in nearly every aspect of Science or intellect. I also know that people don't remember Hitler for any of the good things he did for Germany. They remember that he killed millions of people. They remember that he hated the Jews. They remember that he tried to take over the world. But for some fucking reason, an invisible, non-existent deity is ok to believe, no matter how vile, corrupt, or evil he may be, because it just so happens that a lot of people think that his book has a good fucking message in it.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It does not have a good message in it. There may be some passages in it that proclaim that we should love each other, but hell, most people already knew that anyway. They don't need poorly translated Ikea furniture instructions to tell them not to steal other people's belongings or to kill their fellow man.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that someone would even try to fight this. Until I think about people like Mitt Romney, Bill O'Reilly, the Phelps family, the state of Utah (not all of it), a lot of the midwest, the southern states, and Rush Limbaugh. I think about how these people influence ignorant people into becoming more ignorant. It's almost admirable, the control these fucking bigoted jackasses have over people. I hate all of them. I mean that. I hate them. It's not this new world Atheist love your fellow man thing. Fuck them. We don't need those people at all. They can go away. I'm not wishing death upon them, but I will admit to this...I'll fucking smile when they die.</p>PLAYBOY INTERVIEW: RICHARD DAWKINStag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-08-24:1982180:BlogPost:11711432012-08-24T03:01:06.000ZRob Klaershttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RobKlaers
<p>published Aug 20, 2012<br></br>by CHIP ROWE</p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: What is the A pin you’re wearing?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: It stands for “atheist.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: Like a scarlet letter?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: It’s not meant to reflect that. It’s part of my foundation’s Out Campaign. It means stand out and reach out, as well as come out for the beliefs you hold, and…</span></p>
<p>published Aug 20, 2012<br/>by CHIP ROWE</p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: What is the A pin you’re wearing?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: It stands for “atheist.”</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: Like a scarlet letter?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: It’s not meant to reflect that. It’s part of my foundation’s Out Campaign. It means stand out and reach out, as well as come out for the beliefs you hold, and give the reasons. It’s a bit analogous to gay people coming out.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: Although atheists can marry one another.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: True.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">PLAYBOY: Is there a better word for a nonbeliever than atheist? Darwin preferred agnostic. Some have suggested humanist, naturalist, nontheist.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">DAWKINS: Darwin chose agnostic for tactical reasons. He said the common man was not ready for atheism. There’s a lovely story the comedian Julia Sweeney tells about her own journey from devout Catholicism to atheism. After she’d finally decided she was an atheist, something appeared about it in the newspaper. Her mother phoned her in hysterics and said something like “I don’t mind you not believing in God, but an atheist?” [laughs] The word bright was suggested by a California couple. I think it’s rather a good word, though most of my atheist friends think it suggests religious people are dims. I say, “What’s wrong with that?” [laughs]</span><br/><br/></p>
<p>You can read more of the interview <a href="http://www.playboy.com/playground/view/playboy-interview-richard-dawkins" target="_blank">here</a>.. </p>For promo night,St. Paul Saints' (minor league baseball) inspiration isn't at all divinetag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-07-18:1982180:BlogPost:11565482012-07-18T18:23:58.000ZRob Klaershttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/RobKlaers
<div class="articleByline" id="articleByline"><em>(normally I don't post the entire article, but in this case I will.. ) </em><br></br><br></br>By <span class="author vcard">Joe Soucheray<br></br></span></div>
<div class="articleDate" id="articleDate">Posted: 07/17/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT</div>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">At first I thought it was a joke and I had to go into verification mode, only to discover that it isn't a joke and that on the night of Aug. 10 the St. Paul Saints are having…</span></p>
<div id="articleByline" class="articleByline"><em>(normally I don't post the entire article, but in this case I will.. ) </em><br/><br/>By <span class="author vcard">Joe Soucheray<br/></span></div>
<div id="articleDate" class="articleDate">Posted: 07/17/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT</div>
<p></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">At first I thought it was a joke and I had to go into verification mode, only to discover that it isn't a joke and that on the night of Aug. 10 the St. Paul Saints are having "A Night of Unbelievable Fun.''</span></p>
<div class="entry-content"><div id="articleBody" class="articleBody"><p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Unbelievable? Get it? Yes, you lovers of the North Woods minor-league sluggers, the Saints are devoting their promotional efforts Aug. 10 on behalf of atheists. It's atheists night at the ballpark.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Why, a fellow doesn't know where to begin except that one of the first things that occurred to me was that a ballpark full of atheists is fated to be quieter than most. I don't know what an atheist exclaims in disappointment, but maybe five or six of the most common profanities known to believers are out the window. An atheist would have no business taking you-know-who's name in vain. Neutral mackerel! Jiminy Crickets! I have an atheist friend who, true to his nonbelief, never swears.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">According to the Minnesota Atheists website, not only will the club have atheist night, but to additionally accommodate atheistic sensibilities the club will wear jerseys that night that say "Aints." The team will be called the Mr. Paul Aints, on the supposition that if there ain't no God there ain't no saints. The S on all banners and Saints signs in the park will be crossed off.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">The ceremonial first pitch? They've got it covered. David Silverman, president of the American Atheists, will exercise the old atheist wing and chuck it in there.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Now, I realize that the Saints have always endeared themselves to wacky promotions, but I needed to know who in God's name had such a severe brain meltdown that they came up with this one.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">"We were approached by the Minnesota Atheists," said Derek Sharrer, the team's general manager. "They are sponsoring a national atheist convention in Minneapolis that weekend and wanted to know if they could have a night at the ballpark."</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Not only did it not occur to anybody in the organization to maybe think twice but Sharrer said, "We were put in a position of realizing that we have worked with so many faith-based groups that it would be hypocritical of us to not work with a non-faith-based group.''</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Sharrer said that the club has received a lot of feedback, both positive and negative, but that he believes that over 20 years the club has earned the trust of the fans and that when the team walks the line on a promotion, the fans know the club will do so respectfully.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Huh?</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">"We've worked with religions," Sharrer said. "We felt that we also have to work with the other side."</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">I have never quite figured out what it is that an atheist intends to promote. To me, it's got to be the easiest thing in the world to be an atheist, like being left a billion dollars in a trust fund by a distant uncle. You've got nothing to worry about. While the rest of us might be nagged by doubt and various theological complications, the atheist goes sailing through life not even having to get up early on Sunday morning. The mystery of transubstantiation alone keeps me up at night.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">I guess atheism would be a great way to be if you could get there and once there, there is essentially nothing to promote, which is why I am always puzzled when atheists race to the scenes of imagined affronts to their nothingness, like, say, a cross devoted to war dead in a village square.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">What in the world are they worried about? The cross and its meaning are nothing.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">I did get from Sharrer that it won't stop Sister Rosalind. I guess she still hangs out at Saints games and gives massages. She will probably still have her heart in it, too, because to believe means sometimes you've just got to shake your head and keep moving forward.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff6600;">Joe Soucheray can be reached at <a href="mailto:jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com"><span style="color: #ff6600;">jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com</span></a> or 651-228-5474. Soucheray is heard from 3 to 6 p.m. on 1500 ESPN.</span><br/><br/><a href="http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_21097633" target="_blank">Original article can be found here.</a></p>
</div>
</div>The presumptuous Billy Grahamtag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-07-18:1982180:BlogPost:11565212012-07-18T03:00:00.000ZJameshttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/1989LX
<p>Another post from my blog: <a href="http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/">http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Sunday I was reading the local paper when I ran across the following Q&amp;A column by Billy Graham.</p>
<p><font size="5"><br></br></font></p>
<blockquote><h1><span class="font-size-3"><font size="5">Faith must be nurtured to thrive</font></span></h1>
<h1><font size="3" style="font-weight: normal;"> …</font></h1>
</blockquote>
<p>Another post from my blog: <a href="http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/">http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/</a></p>
<p>-------------------</p>
<p>Sunday I was reading the local paper when I ran across the following Q&amp;A column by Billy Graham.</p>
<p><font size="5"><br/></font></p>
<blockquote><h1><span class="font-size-3"><font size="5">Faith must be nurtured to thrive</font></span></h1>
<h1><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="3"> <span class="font-size-2"><b>Q:</b> I was real excited when I gave my life to Jesus at a church camp last year, but now I'm not even sure what I believe. What happened to me? How did I lose my feelings of joy? -- A.B.</span><br/> <br/> <span class="font-size-2"><b>A:</b> Let me assure you that God hasn't changed; He still loves you and still wants you to know that He is with you every moment of the day.</span></font></h1>
<div class="articlerail"></div>
<p>The key is to understand that when you gave your life to Jesus, you entered into a personal relationship -- a relationship with God Himself. But like any other relationship, our relationship with God needs to be safeguarded and nurtured. What would happen to your friendship with someone if you never spoke to them or spent time with them? Eventually that friendship would wither and die -- and the same is true of our relationship with God. Jesus said, "I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15).<br/><br/> Tell God that you know you need Him, and that you want your relationship with Him to grow and become strong. Then learn to walk with Him every day. How do you do that? First, take time to read a portion of His Word, the Bible, every day. Through it, you'll learn just how much He loves you, and how He wants you to live.<br/><br/> Then learn to pray about everything -- not just asking God for help, but thanking and praising Him for the good things He gives you. In addition, ask God to give you Christian friends who can encourage and help you. Don't rely on your feelings, for they will fade. Learn instead to rely on Jesus Christ, and on the truth God has given you in His Word.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's no surprise that Graham's answer is worthless and presumptuous. Oh, your faith is fading? So it automatically must be your fault. A simply despicable assumption. This may be a shock to ol Billy boy, but you can lose your faith while still praying and trying to be true to that faith. I know, because that's what happened to me. I prayed, I went to church with my family, I read the Bible and yet I still lost faith. I was a believer, but no more. It didn't happen at once, but was a very gradual process. I was the type that would hear things that conflicted with my faith, and I would research to prove my faith true. But faith has one natural predator... facts. The more things I learned, the more I understood about the world, and the more I read the Bible (not part of the facts department), the less faith I had. So no, faith didn't fade from being lax or lazy. Faith can often fade due to being vigilant and committed to truth. But that's just one person, and admittedly, while my family did go to church, we didn't go every single week. But what about people I know personal who were studying to become priests. Yup, you guessed it! They no longer believe either. That type of study takes a lot of dedication, yet they lost their faith as well. That not high enough up the religious ladder for Mr. Graham? What about the clergy project? <a href="http://clergyproject.org/">http://clergyproject.org/</a> A place where actual clergy members can anonymously come clean about the fact that they no longer believe as well. These peoples jobs (and in many cases , their life) are to lead prayer, teach the faith and lead church services regularly. So Billy, how is it that these clergy members who regularly perform the tasks that you say are needed to nurture faith still managed to lose their faith? Simple. Faith being lost isn't a result of not babying that faith, but of the truth and reason finding it's way in. Religion being found out for what it is. A fantasy story, dressed up with promises, yet also riddled with nonsense and threats. So Mr. Graham, get off you soap box and try to actually look at facts for a change. People don't lose faith because there's something wrong with the people. Please lose faith because there is something wrong with the faith.</p>
<p>-BH</p>
<p></p>
<p>---------------</p>
<p>Thanks for reading. If you'd like to read more, check out the link above, as I plan to write about much more (political and controversial subjects) and will probably only be posting the topics that have to do with religion here.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Cheers!</p>Blogging for logic // Religious assumptionstag:www.thinkatheist.com,2012-07-15:1982180:BlogPost:11553412012-07-15T02:00:00.000ZJameshttp://www.thinkatheist.com/profile/1989LX
<p>Greetings all!</p>
<p><br></br> I haven't posted on TA for a while but have been lurking the site and enjoying everyone's videos and blogs. Regrettably, my free time has been at a premium, and jumping in to discussions right at the deep end is what has ultimately suffered. That said, I've recently decided to try my hand at blogging as a stress outlet, and to put my usual ramblings and reactions into written words. My most recent posting was of a theological nature, so I figured I'd share it with…</p>
<p>Greetings all!</p>
<p><br/> I haven't posted on TA for a while but have been lurking the site and enjoying everyone's videos and blogs. Regrettably, my free time has been at a premium, and jumping in to discussions right at the deep end is what has ultimately suffered. That said, I've recently decided to try my hand at blogging as a stress outlet, and to put my usual ramblings and reactions into written words. My most recent posting was of a theological nature, so I figured I'd share it with my friends here on TA. I hope you enjoy it, and I do plan to continue blogging as often as I can, as I have founds it surprisingly enjoyable.</p>
<p><br/> Cheers!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/">http://www.brainhulklogicsmash.blogspot.com/</a></p>
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<blockquote><p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We've all come home to find religious materials stuffed in our front door or tucked next to the mailbox. Typically it's the usual Watchtower magazine or flyer. Well, now a semi-local evangelical Baptist church has gotten in on the act. Usually I just toss them in the pile of things to put in the recycling bin, but this one caught my eye. It wasn't the quality on the tract. Unlike the Watchtower books that are professionally printed, this one was a cheap photocopy on colored paper. It was much less wordy than the Watchtower books, so I actually did bother to read it in it's brief entirety. I did take notice of it's claim that it was making with loud certainty... and more importantly the address listed right on the back. So I decided to partake in the likely pointless activity of writing the pastor a letter in response. The following is that letter...</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Pastor Jeff,</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I returned home from a long day of work Thursday to find one of your churches small blue fliers stuck in my door. I really wish your congregation didn’t blanket the area with these pamphlets, as the vast majority likely wind up in the rubbish bin. I can only hope that some were put in with the recycling collection like mine. But that isn’t the reason for this note. You see, the distributed paper included the wording “HOW TO KNOW 100% FOR SURE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THAT YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN.” (Emphasis, yours.) However, there’s a problem with this claim. You claim that people can know “100% for sure”, yet is this really true? This claim is actually based on a few base assumptions, so you actually can’t be “100% sure”. Allow me to elaborate…</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assumption 1)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">First you must assume that there is some sort of heaven or afterlife to even go to. Granted, only those who already believe in an afterlife will be interested in the information within your distributed pamphlet. Yet you must still assume that there is a heaven, as one has not been proven to exist, nor is there even evidence to exist that it does.<br/></span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assumption 2)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Next you must assume that some sort of god exists. Just as with the assumption of heaven, you are forced to assume that there is a deity in control of this place and it’s rules for entry. Again, as with the afterlife, this has yet to be proven as true.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assumption 3)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">After you assume that some sort of deity exists, you are left assuming that the god that you believe in is the correct god. Remember, there have been thousands of gods through the centuries. Deistic, monotheistic, polytheistic? Statistically, it is much more likely that you have chosen the wrong god (should one exist), since none have had their existence verified and proven.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assumption 4)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now that you have your god picked out, you need to assume that the holly text attributed to him/her is an accurate representation of his/her true nature and requirements for entry into heaven. If the holly book is not an accurate representation, then quoting verses is of no use. Especially if the verses are inaccurate in their claimed desires of said god.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assumption 5)</span></b> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">Assuming that the text is accurate, you must assume that your interpretation is the correct interpretation as well. Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Evangelical, and many, many more. Even if we focus on Christianity, there are several different sects that differ enough in their interpretation of the Bible that they deem it necessary to separate themselves from the others.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So as you see, you can’t truly claim that people can know “100% for sure” if they will go to heaven. In order for this claim to be true, you must assume that there is a heaven, that there is a god, that you’ve selected the correct one, that his holly text is an accurate representation of his will, and that you’ve interpreted the text correctly. Far too many assumptions for anyone to claim 100% certainty.</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">-A friendly neighborhood atheist</span></p>
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<p style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now, I understand that writing this church a letter and pointing out the obvious was likely a waste of time that will result in nothing. But it did allow me to vent a little after a frustrating day, as well as letting the pastor know that his flyers aren't welcome and that not all blindly accept what he's selling. Some may respond to say that science doesn't provide 100% certainty either, and admittedly they would be correct. However there is a wide gulf between what science can tell us and what religion tells us. Whereas religious faith just makes a baseless claim and asserts it as unquestionable fact, scientific knowledge is based on tests and evidence. Science may not be able to say that a thing is 100% the truth, but it can say that all the evidence and tests run point toward the conclusion that the conclusion in question is the truth. It never says that something is 100% unquestionably true, but leaves even the strongest conclusion open to revision should new evidence arise. It's all about the expansion of knowledge and deeply caring that what we believe, or hold to be true is as accurate a portrayal of reality as the facts at hand can tell us. That is a wonderful thing that no assumed paradise can overcome.<br/></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-BH</span></p>
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